


Tides of Change

by ThePrimeOne



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Dorothea Arnault/Sylvain Jose Gautier, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Mentioned Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Ultra Rarepair Big Bang (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26241901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePrimeOne/pseuds/ThePrimeOne
Summary: A year after his graduation, Ashe Ubert finds himself still aimlessly cruising through life with little clue for the life he wanted to lead, his mind focused on his family, friends, and part time job at the Blue Lions cafe.A year after her graduation, Petra Macneary is on top of the world, rising to become international sports star, and bringing with her back to Fodlan the tides of change that shift both of their lives with a simple greeting.And neither do anything to fight back against it.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Petra Macneary
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21
Collections: 2020 Ultra Rarepair Big Bang





	Tides of Change

**Author's Note:**

> AKA an excuse to do a Modern AU, Coffee Shop AU and Library AU all in one fic.
> 
> It's finally here, the fic I did for the Ultra Rarepair Big Bang! I heard from the grapevine fairly close to the deadline for signing up that no one had picked to do Ashe and Petra, so of course, I had to change that. Also, I got over 7 words, somehow, yay me.
> 
> Please go check out Chelsea's art to accompany the fic on her twitter, @ChelseaLToons! Her art is super cute and is definitely worth a follow.
> 
> Also, Comments and kudos are appreciated! Happy reading!

It all started with Sylvain, as any sort of shenanigans that occurred in the Blue Lions cafe typically does.

Ashe slid the small glass door of the heated display case open as the front door to the cozy little shop opened. The clicking of heels echoed in the shop as a familiar customer walked in. The young woman in question, one Dorothea Arnault, strutted in with her hair in a ponytail, wearing a black long sleeve crop top and leggings with all the grace in the world that snagged up Sylvain's now undivided attention. Predictably, it pulled Sylvain forward to the single cash register. Leaning forward, the redhead felt compelled to give her his best smile and wink.

The young woman rolled her eyes but hardly tried to hide her smile in return.

Ashe shook his head, though bemused. He turned his attention back to the muffins on the tray before him and carefully placed each one behind their respective name and price tags. He- and everyone else, were grateful to get the call the day before (shockingly) from Bernadetta that she and Raphael would be dropping by, the large man taking seven of the last muffins they had on sale that morning. One for Bernadetta and six for himself.

He still couldn't understand how one person could have such an appetite. Not even Ingrid's was _that_ egregious. Still, he had the money for it, so they could hardly decline.

Ashe closed the door swiftly to maintain the display case's heat, and took the tray to the backroom, setting it aside for cleaning. The moment he walked out, the clicking of Dorothea's heels were immediately audible as she walked from the counter to take a seat, alone, at a table for two. Sylvain's sigh makes Ashe crack an amused smile.

"Sylvain. Sylvain!" Felix snapped, successfully getting his friend's attention away from the Brunette. "I'm having my lunch break. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. I don't want my father asking me why _someone_ broke the ten thousand dollar espresso machine. Again."

Sylvain rolled his eyes and smiled innocently. "Oh give Dimitri a break, that was an accident. And besides, I promise I won't. You just make sure you don't screw up your date with Little Miss Annie, 'kay Fe?" smirked Sylvain, biting back a laugh as Felix goes red to his ears. 

"It's not a date," Ashe's co-worker snapped back. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Felix swiftly left the building. Ashe approached the espresso machine to prep Dorothea's order, but Sylvain stepped in.

"I got this. You go and handle the register for me. There's something I need to see," Sylvain said cryptically.

Ashe blinked at his sudden insistence. Then again, this was Dorothea's order. Of course, he'd want to make it as perfectly as he could, Ashe rationalised. On the other hand, he'd felt half tempted to blurt out _'If by something you mean_ _Dorothea'_ bluntly but held his tongue.

He took off his disposable gloves and tossed it into the bin hidden under the counter, tapping away at the machine's screen to make sure everything was in order. Better to be busy than not in case Rodrigue, their boss walked in the door. It was half the reason Felix had his lunch breaks at noon on the dot, Sylvain once explained to him. It was usually after that Rodrigue would visit should the day permit it.

And at precisely 12:15 PM, as Ashe leaned on the back counter chatting with Sylvain, the latter's attention remained divided continuously until the cafe's front door opened. Both workers sprung into their memorised positions; Sylvain was wiping the already shiny bench with a well-used rag, and Ashe mindlessly tapping at the cash register's screen. 

But instead of Rodrigue, a short girl with sun-kissed skin and braided plum hair walked in tentatively, searching the seating area before her eyes lit up. Dorothea rushed over to happily greet the young woman with a warm hug. Sylvain peered over to the duo, curiously blinking when Dorothea guided the newcomer to sit down on the cushioned seat across from her.

Ashe couldn't help but _immediately_ feel the girl, who looked closer to his age, was familiar in a way he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Beautiful too, a voice in the back of his head whispered. Ashe's head snapped down to the cash register.

"Huh. So that's how it is hm?" Sylvain whispered, looking up for a split second as to not get Dorothea or her friend's attention. 

"What is?" Ashe wondered aloud, eyes unmoving from the flat screen.

"She said she was meeting with a friend. I was curious to see who this friend was, so you can imagine my surprise when it's _her_." His gaze falls upon Ashe with an odd grin on his face.

"What is it, Sylvain? Is there something on my face?" Ashe glanced to his left and blinked curiously. Sylvain raised an eyebrow at Ashe. 

"You're kidding, right?" Sylvain asks him, his expression faltering almost into shock. "Do you not recognise who that is? Even I do, and we only attended the same high school for two years."

Ashe thought about it a little, and while admittedly a certain someone did cross his mind, he wasn't entirely sure it was them. "Um… No?" Ashe lied through his teeth. Somehow, despite being a terrible liar, Sylvain seemed to buy it and rubbed his head.

"Oy vey," Sylvain mumbled in concern. "Well, I'm going to head out back and wash up. The last thing we need is Dimitri breaking things by accident right after he starts his shift. Again. Call me if you need anything," he called out, disappearing into the back room.

"Will do!" Ashe called back. Brushing off thoughts from the previous conversation aside, Ashe aimlessly reorganised some of the unused cups, plates and other utensils in the cupboards. All the while, his curiosity subconsciously got the better of him, his gaze settling on the young woman who'd joined Dorothea.

He eventually forced himself to look away as a name surfaced in his mind. If it was her, Ashe was surprised. He'd seen little beyond her side profile, but if it was _her_ , Ashe wondered if she'd remember him. They'd drifted further apart from one another in their second and third years at Garreg Mach, to the point that Ashe felt he hardly knew the girl.

As he completed his pointless task, Ashe stood on his feet to clean the shiny espresso machine that reflected his bored expression. Standing some meters away, two of the few people occupying the cafe stared at the menu on the back wall. The utter willpower Ashe exuded to not stare at the young woman with the purple marking under her right eye almost hurt. 

Especially so, when _'Oh. It really is Petra'_ , and ' _Sothis above when did Petra become so beautiful, was I just blind this whole time?'_ were the first two things that consumed his mind.

He bit his inner lip, inwardly berating himself to prevent himself from looking. Unfortunately, Petra slowly took steps towards the cash register, and old feelings resurfaced in those few moments far faster than he'd anticipated.

Placing the rag aside, he met her at the register. 

They made eye contact for a few moments, her eyes darting to his name tag and back. Her lips quirked up into a familiar smile that made his heart beat a little faster.

" _Hallò_ , Ashe," she said confidently, speaking like they were still familiar with one another as if they'd kept in regular contact from their second year of high school onwards. 

Ashe's mind short-circuited for a moment when he registered that she greeted him in Brigidese. His brain reached deep for the lessons he'd spent with Petra to learn Brigidese in their first year of high school. Bits and pieces of the language come back to him as he formulated a response through a short pause.

" _H-Hallò,_ Petra," Ashe stammered, to the woman's amusement. 

"C _iamar a tha thu?_ " she questioned again. Ashe racked his brain, trying to figure out what she said.

_"Tha… tha mi gu math?"_ replied Ashe, unsure if she asked how he was, but judging from her reaction, it was close enough.

The young woman giggled; his heart skipped a beat. "Wow. It has been some time since we have seen each other, but you are still remembering Brigid's language. I am impressed."

Ashe awkwardly smiled. "W-well, it's hard to forget something like that, y' know?"

Petra tilted her head curiously. "How so?"

"W-well, I think Brigid's language is beautiful. Like I was saying, it's hard to forget something like it," he reaffirmed, Petra's smile softening; grateful. "My teacher was- is the same way too." He stopped for a moment to let what he said sink in. "...and was very good at her job," he lamely tacked on at the end.

_Fuck_.

Ashe momentarily contemplated what on earth compelled him to say that. Flirting? And not even five minutes into their first conversation after well over a year?

Unfortunately, it didn't become lost on Petra, who, after taking a moment to realise what he said, raised an eyebrow, her lips tugging up into an amused smirk. "Teaching is being quite difficult when your student was- is, easy on the eyes. But I managed," she corrected herself mid-sentence and leaned closer against the counter.

He blushed at her praise, and his heart skipped a beat.

"But I am glad to hear that, Ashe," she said with an earnest and bright tone. "Before I forget, how are you? And how are your siblings? How are they faring?" Petra asked quickly, leaning away (to his disappointment).

Ashe noticed, but didn't speak of Petra's sudden shift in subjects. "Oh, well, I'm doing fine, I guess," Ashe shrugged. "It's been a whole year, and I still don't know what I wanna do. I'm just kind of cruising along working here at this point," he sadly smiled. Petra's face dropped into a concerned frown.

"But speaking of my siblings, well, they're both doing great. Alyssa's in her second year of high school, and Marco is in his first. They're doing dealing with the heavier workload well."

Petra's eyes went wide. "No. First and second-year?" she said unbelievingly. "You are- what is the phrase? Pulling my leg, yes?"

Ashe was unable to suppress a mirthful laugh. "No, I promise I'm not."

"I am surprised. I completely forgot," Petra trailed off, hanging her head with a frown. Before Ashe could ask what was wrong, her head shot up with a grin. 

"Perhaps we can be changing that, yes? I would be liking to braid Alyssa's hair again and listen to Marco tell me about the video games as we did years ago."

Ashe's eyes flickered back to Dorothea, her smirk aimed in their direction, her eyes mixed with confusion and amusement. He caught Dorothea's eyes looking away from them and to where the entrance to the washroom would be.

Ashe felt a sense of dread wash over him.

The young man cleared his throat. "O-oh. Well, I'd love to Petra, and I know my siblings would love to see you again," Ashe looked behind Petra and cleared his throat. "But I'd also hate to keep Dorothea waiting on you."

Her smile faltered. "Ah. That is true," she acknowledged. Ashe swore she sounded disappointed too.

Dorothea's frown and sigh didn't help either. He sensed deep down he messed up.

"So, um. Is there anything you'd like?"

Petra hummed momentarily, quickly reaching into her purse and handing him a ten-dollar note.

"A large tea and banana bread. Surprise me with the tea."

Ashe blinked at the note, then at her. "A-are you sure?" He asked, confused.

"I have much faith that you will make me something delicious," she confidently responded.

Ashe took it and took it from her hand with a reassuring smile. "Alright. I'll figure something out then." The barista pressed some buttons on the screen to pop the cash drawer open, exchanging the note for the correct change.

"You have my gratitude, Ashe," Petra nodded gratefully with a warm smile again, money in hand. She turned her back to him and joined Dorothea at their table.

Sliding the cash drawer shut, he shifted to the espresso machine, staring down at it, wondering what on earth to make.

In hindsight, he wished Petra ordered something specific.

The sudden press of a hand on his shoulder made him jump a little, to Sylvain's amusement.

"Hey bud," Sylvain piped up, dread washing over the younger of the two. The redhead released the hold on Ashe's shoulder and crossed his arms. 

"So, you finally figured it out. Care to tell me what that was about, though?" Sylvain raised eyebrows, expecting an answer.

Ashe's expression mirrored Sylvain's own. "W-what was?"

Sylvain shook his head. "Come on, Ashe. You know what I'm talking about. Since when did you know how to speak Brigidese? I didn't catch much of what you two were saying, but I positively heard a distinct lack of Fodlanese in that conversation, you know, even if it was brief."

Ashe looked away, suddenly more interested in picking out food than answering Sylvain's question. "...Petra taught me some Brigidese in our freshman and sophomore years", he admitted quietly.

"Right. And as I remember it, you were the only one. Dorothea didn't even know how to say hello until you two were in the senior year." Sylvain nodded, unsurprised by the revelation. "So let me guess, you've still been keeping up with your studies to impress her, huh? Beautiful language, beautiful girl?" 

"What?! N-no! It's not like that!" Ashe sputtered as quietly as he could, coughing hoarsely into his elbow. Sylvain leaned against the counter, his arms crossed with a smirk. "You're a funny guy. You know that, Ashe? If it makes you feel better, she certainly looked and sounded impressed." 

Sylvain pushed off the counter and slowly walked back to the back room. "Speaking of being impressed, you really still do have it bad, staring at her from afar like that."

Ashe went red to the tips of his ears. "Sylvain..."

Sylvain sighed. "You know, I'm somehow both impressed and disappointed at the same time. How do you go from saying something smooth to whatever that was?"

Ashe clutched the bridge of his nose between his right pointer and thumb. "Don't remind me, please," Ashe grumbled. The redhead patted Ashe's back.

"Well, luckily for you, you have another chance to make up for it. Let me help you out, 'kay?"

Ashe's gaze upon Sylvain was nothing short of sceptical. 

"What? It's easy. When you deliver her food, all you have to do is pass off a small piece of paper. Quick, easy, effective, it works a hundred per cent of the time," Sylvain winked. Ashe's sceptical expression didn't let up. "OK, maybe it's not a hundred per cent, but you get the idea. Besides, it'll work. She still likes you enough anyway," he tilted his head in the direction of Petra's table.

Ashe's head perked up, and true to his word, Petra was looking in his direction, her jaw dropped in surprise when their eyes met. She waved at him with her expression rising into a shy smile with a that Ashe's heart could hardly bear.

He returned the wave, perhaps with the same smile. Ashe immediately strode off and prepared the rest of her order, to get the confusing mess of emotions that took hold of him. He snagged a piece of banana bread from the warm display case, placing it in the small microwave to heat up further. Sylvain's voice was tuned out as Ashe continuously muttered under his breath.

"Tea, tea, tea… what did she like again? Lemon and Honey? Almyran Pine Needles? No, it was Four-Spice. Or was it that or Ginger tea? Both? Come on Ashe..." he muttered to himself, tapping the side of the machine. With a shrug, he swiped a large cup and prepped a large Four-Spice, a large warmed and buttered piece of banana bread to accompany it. 

Ashe looked down at the food and drink, hoping she'd be satisfied with both. Before he could leave, Sylvain thrust out a piece of paper in front of him that Ashe took cautiously. 

It was Ashe's phone number written down neatly with ' _Cuir fòn thugam ;)'_ written underneath it. It took him a moment to translate it, but Ashe blushed when he realised it said 'Call me' in Brigidese. 

"Sylvain!" Ashe hissed uncharacteristically.

The redhead held up his hands in mock surrender betrayed by his grin. "You can thank Google Translate for that one," he grinned. "Trust me. It'll work."

His doubt remained, but Ashe couldn't help but let a little hope settle within him. He folded the piece of paper and hid it away in his apron's pocket.

"I'm not so sure of that, Sylvain."

"And yet, you took it anyway." Sylvain looked up to see new customers approach the register. "I'll take care of this one. I believe in you, Ashe," winked Sylvain, operating the register in his place.

Ashe pursed his lips momentarily before carefully picking up the mug and small plate. Carefully pushing open the gate with his leg, Ashe approached the sudden object of his affections, careful not to spill the drink in front of her.

Arriving at the table, Ashe tried to pretend Dorothea wasn't sizing him up as Petra's order in front of her. "Here you go Petra, one freshly warmed banana bread and your surprise tea ready to go."

Petra beamed, excitedly cupping her hands around the mug. "You have my gratitude, Ashe!" she put the cup to her lips and had a quick sip. Her expression softened considerably, humming in satisfaction. "Four-Spice… I have not had this in quite some time. I am surprised you remember this was a favourite of mine, Ashe."

The young man sighed, relieved by her comment and demeanour. "Well, I wasn't too sure, to be honest, but I'm glad that you liked it, Petra," Ashe brightly grinned back at her.

So much so that Dorothea squinted her eyes at their overwhelmingly giddy expressions as if she were staring into the sun.

"O-oh, before I forget," he stuttered momentarily, reaching down into his pocket. Ashe dug around in the bag, gripping the thin paper between his fingers nervously. Taking the paper out, he held out his hand to Petra. "This is, uh, for you. You dropped it on your way from the register."

His tone didn't exactly exude confidence, Ashe quickly realised. It was probably why she looked so unconvinced, the young woman staring at the folded piece of paper, utterly confused. She carefully took it from Ashe's hands, and before she could open it, he cleared his throat and took a step back.

"A-anyway, I'm going to go make sure Sylvain hasn't broken anything yet. Just uh…" Ashe trailed off, eyes widening upon seeing Petra unfold the paper anyway, staring at its contents. "Just give me a call if you want anything," the barista said far too quickly, turning away refusing to see Petra's reaction.

Ashe walked as fast his legs could carry him before breaking into a sprint, making it back behind the counter to start finishing up customer orders for Sylvain.

"So, how'd it go?" Sylvain asked, multi-tasking effortlessly. Ashe struggles to keep up.

"I- I don't know. I didn't see Petra's reaction. I'm not sure if I want to either," he said truthfully. Still, his eyes wandered past her again, spotting Petra engrossed mid-conversation with Dorothea, fiddling with the piece of paper and holding it close to her heart. Ashe couldn't let the thoughts on his mind go on, and so retreated to the back room to finish Sylvain's cleaning, knowing Felix would be rather upset if it weren't at least half done.

So he shut off his mind as he painstakingly scrubbed down the various trays and utensils until Sylvain later poked his head in, scaring Ashe to the point of tossing the brush at the redhead on reflex; he was thankful Sylvain's had quick reflexes.

"Sylvain!" Ashe sputtered loudly. "Oh Goddess I-I'm so sorry, I didn't…"

The older man threw back his head in mirthful laughter, picking up the brush. "Relax Ashe. I'll live. That said, I can't lie, that was a pretty good shot- almost caught me on my right eye too," smirked Sylvain, though a particular light in his eyes seemed to fade away momentarily. 

By time Ashe had realised it, Sylvain had begun speaking. "The boss just arrived, by the way."

"Oh! Rodrigue's here? What time is it anyway?" Ashe perked up. 

Sylvain shook his head. "Time for you to get outta here. Your shift's over now, lucky boy." Ashe blinked, surprised that enough time had passed for Felix to return grumpily with Rodrigue, the establishment's owner in tow, all the while Ashe not noticing either of them.

"I've been grilling Felix about his date with Annette in front of Rodrigue, in case you're wondering why you haven't seen them yet. Felix is too busy grumpily standing on the corner, making orders while Rodrigue is on the register. It's a joy to watch," he snickered. 

Ashe's expression turned to one of bemusement, betrayed by the shake of his head. "Of course you would do that." He quickly ran his soapy hands under the water and wiped them dry with the last dregs of the paper towel in the nearby dispenser. Snatching up his backpack in the corner of the kitchen and waving goodbye to his co-workers and boss, Ashe stopped halfway to the door when his phone began to buzz.

Half expecting his brother or sister to call right as his shift ended, Ashe's stared lingered on an unknown number displayed itself on bold letters on the screen, the phone's vibrations in his hands becoming forgotten. He tapped the accept button and cautiously held up the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Ashe asks tentatively. The person on the other end is silent for a moment.

_"Hallò_ , Ashe," a woman's voice says from the other end. Ashe blinked, stunned momentarily by the voice that spoke back to him. Turning around to the seating area, Ashe noticed a distinct lack of Dorothea and Petra and Sylvain wiggling his eyebrows in the corner of his eye.

_I told you_ , he mouthed with a dumb grin. Ashe didn't dignify him with a response.

" _H-Hallò_? Petra? Is that you?"

The young woman hummed. "Hmm… I think so? I do sound like Petra, no?"

Ashe chuckled. "I'm not so sure. Are you sure you aren't an imposter?" he questioned her teasingly.

"Perhaps," Petra giggled. "This is a problem we should solve. In-person is preferable."

Ashe stepped to the side to let a customer in, swiftly walking out right after. "W-well, I, like the sound of that idea. Did you have a place in mind?" Ashe berated himself internally for sounding so nervous, the fact his voice cracked not helping.

The other end was silent for a moment. "There is an all you can eat restaurant in Garreg Mach City that I have not eaten at in quite some time. You were taking me there once in our freshman year if you are remembering? I still remember when you tried to do a makeshift Brigid dish. It was incredibly sweet of you."

Ashe's cheeks warmed at the happy old memory. "Well, you did look rather homesick, so it was the least I could do. And sure, we can go there," Ashe cleared his throat, trying not to sound so excited. "This weekend? Saturday night? Maybe… 7 PM?"

"I would be liking that, Ashe." He swore he could hear the grin on Petra's face.

"OK. OK! That's, uh, sounds good! Yeah. I'll see you then?"

"Yes, I shall. But Ashe, are feeling well? Your voice is sounding strange, I am thinking."

"Oh. That," Ashe cleared his throat. "I'm just kind of surprised you called, is all. I told Sylvain I didn't think it'd work." Ashe shut his mouth when he realised what he said. "Uh, I mean..."

Petra's giggle through the phone made his beat faster. 

"Well, you did tell me to call you if I _wanted_ anything, I am remembering," Petra's voice turned slightly lower than usual. "I am wanting to see you again soon."

Fuck. 

When he had Petra become so forward and confident? He could hardly fathom it. Ashe held back his thoughts from wandering to dangerous places as he composed himself.

"Well. I can't exactly say _no_ to that now, can I?"

* * *

**Petra:** Change of plans. Training has been rescheduled to start at 6 PM tomorrow. Care to meet me at the state library at 1 PM, when my shift finishes instead? I am sorry if this is inconvenient for you :(

**Ashe:** Yeah, I should be able to make it! And don't worry about it, it's not a problem at all :)

**Petra:** Wonderful! See you then! ^_^

* * *

A library was probably the last place he'd expected Petra would request to meet, yet at the same time, he wasn't surprised by it at all. Petra had often spent most of her spare time after school hours diligently studying in the library when she wasn't training with Garreg Mach's Track and Field team. As he'd found out through some of his friends and acquaintances, Petra had gone on to participate in a multitude of track and field events for the Adrestian Athletics League during her junior and senior years. Supposedly, she had even qualified to represent Fodlan in the Olympics that were to take place in Garreg Mach City in two months; because Petra was just always incredible like that, even if she didn't realise it. 

Incredibly smart. Incredibly strong. Incredibly beautiful.

Though he never knew why, he had a sneaking suspicion that Petra's choice to return home and to qualify under Brigid's banner had something to do with her intense rivalry with Edelgard. She'd quickly made a name for herself alongside the Adestian athlete, who'd already made a splash into the scene herself, many seeing them as intensely driven equals.

Petra had achieved so much within her first year of graduating and then some. She was on the verge of becoming an international sporting sensation if she hadn't already become one.

And here he was, Ashe Ubert still cruising along with a part-time barista job Rodrigue had graciously given him, and still unsure of what he wanted to do a year after finishing high school.

She was so far out of his league; it was almost comical. The fact she wanted to see him and insisted on a date, much less agreed to a date to begin with was still unbelievable. Ashe tried to shrug off the thoughts that invaded his mind, content to feel happy that he played a role in such developments, Ashe being the one that initially and successfully convinced her to join the Track and Field team.

Regardless, Lonato had assured him that he need not worry about such things and to take his time deciding where to steer his life next. It was an admittedly nice sentiment that Christophe echoed too; unfortunately, seeing most of his classmates actively move on to college so quickly after their senior year didn't help Ashe's feelings on the subject.

But he supposed his adoptive father and brother had a point. He'd considered commercial cookery and an apprenticeship like Dedue, or some manner of creative writing like Bernadetta- and while both appealed to him in different ways, Ashe couldn't find it in him to choose. So he did what he did best without the weight of exams from senior year crushing his back: he procrastinated.

The young man pulled out a book from the shelf among a host of familiar names, staring at it with an amused grin. _Loog and the Maiden of Wind; i_ t was one of the first books he owned after Lonato adopted him. It was the same book he gave to Petra as a present in their freshman year to practice with her Fodlanese. Though his copy had far since degraded, he still looked at the book with a particular nostalgic fondness. Taking it with him, Ashe quickly left his nostalgic blast from the past behind to find the actual reason he was there.

He scanned through the various and endless aisles of books of Garreg Mach City's Library, Ashe finally stumbled upon the Education and Reference Books section, still containing rows and shelves of various resources. Thankfully, the resource Ashe needed was an easy find. After finding the latter end of the 'B' section, Ashe's eyes passed over the spines of hundreds of books, the spine of a multitude of books relevant to his interests appearing one after the other. They were all labelled with some manner of Brigid attached to them. Most of them were educational books about Brigid's culture and history. Two, in particular, caught his eye-mostly because one was in the wrong alphabetical order- _Beginner's Guide to Brigidese_ and _Merriam-Webster's Brigid-Fodlan Dictionary_.

Ashe pulled the books out and stared at its covers. Pages rapidly spun as he flicked through both of the rather substantial books. Mostly satisfied, his fingers drummed against the dictionary stacked on top of the Beginner's Guide for a moment. He pulled out one more book- _The Culture and History of Brigid-_ in the last second, taking all four books to the front desk to quickly stuff into his bag before he'd meet Petra.

Ashe pulled out his phone and opened his lock screen. 

_12:42 PM_ , it read in large bold characters. He sighed in relief, fortunate to have enough to hide them away. Of course, Ashe had no bad intentions behind doing it, strange as it sounded, but he knew better than to ask Petra to help him study Brigidese when she had so much on her plate as it was. The fact she even agreed to meet with him, much less have tea with Dorothea at Rodrigue's the week before, was a miracle in and of itself in hindsight.

Ashe carefully walked down the large staircase leading to the bottom level where the receptionist's desk was. Sounds of someone rummaging through boxes reached his ears, but with no staff member insight. Despite his confusion, he placed them all neatly in size order, his library card neatly sitting on top and idled by for what seemed like an eternity before a young woman popped up from behind the counter.

"Hello!" a woman with dark hair and glasses framed in dark red and exclaimed, sending Ashe into shock.

"Bwah!" Ashe yelped, jumping in place and slapping a hand over his mouth. The young woman reeled back in surprise from his response, opening her mouth to speak; instead, it parted in an intense mix of emotions.

Ashe moved his hand away to apologise, but the words died on his tongue. He glanced at the woman properly, and his expression had mirrored hers near instantly.

"...Petra? Is that you?"

"Ashe! You are here!" Petra sputtered, caught off guard.

"Y-yeah! I am here," stuttered out Ashe. "What were you doing just now?"

"Oh. Sorting out boxes for Fuyumi," Petra forcibly coughed into her elbow to pry her eyes away from Ashe's. A neutral expression shifted back on her face from her previous shocked expression. "You remember her, yes? She was the librarian assistant in our Sophomore year onwards. She is expecting, so I was asking to help her today."

"Oh! Yeah, I do," Ashe nodded. "But she's expecting? I had no idea! That's wonderful to hear," he beamed. "If you see her tell her I said congratulations."

"I will keep that in mind." Petra smiled. The room went quiet, and Petra attempted to forcibly compose herself, unconsciously smoothing out her dress's non-existent creases. "But Ashe, it is strange to be seeing you here. I was not expecting you to be early."

Ashe rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, well, I thought it'd be best if I were early, at least. I just thought it wouldn't be polite of me to keep you waiting, right?"

"No, I suppose not," Petra smiled. Her smile dropped a little upon realising Ashe was staring at her strangely. "Is there something wrong?"

Ashe blinked out of his daze. "Oh! Your uh, glasses. I didn't know you wore them."

"Oh. These? They are false. They are called fashion glasses," Petra fiddled with them, pushing the frame of the glasses a little further up the bridge of her nose. "Dorothea has been suggesting I wear them. She says I am looking fashionable with them, but I think I am looking... look, ridiculous."

Ashe bit the inside of his lips a moment, a small burst of courage welling up in his chest. "I don't think you do. You look cute in them- they suit you."

Ashe felt his heart drop, already regretting his choice of words. Petra stared at him, blindsided by his compliment. She pushed the fashion glasses up the bridge of her nose again in a vain effort to hide her light blush. "Well, I am glad you are thinking so, Ashe."

She looked down at the stack of books and Ashe suddenly felt very nervous. 

"Ah, you are here to borrow some books? How convenient. Fuyumi was insisting that I finish early if were being here before my finish time. So I shall be scanning these for you, and then we can leave. There is a burger place that Dorothea likes to visit nearby- ah, but you did not hear me tell you that," Petra winked at Ashe. If Petra noticed Ashe's face glow a light shade of red, she didn't comment on it.

"Loog and the Maiden of Wind," Petra beamed, after reading the title. "I have many memories of this book. It is still one of my favourites. I am still leaving this on my shelf- the book you presented to me."

Ashe rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I'm glad you still enjoy it. I wasn't sure if you'd like it."

"You are not giving yourself enough credit. You always are having a keen eye for good stories."

Ashe silently smiled at her compliment as best he could when he noticed Petra's gaze redirected back at the remaining books before her. Ashe bit his lip as the young woman picked the book up and stared at its title quietly. She looked at the second book and moved it to the side, the third and largest book revealing its title to her. Petra stood almost motionless for a few moments, compelling Ashe to break the silence.

"P-Petra, I can explain…"

"Ashe…" Petra whispered, the emotion in her voice undecipherable. She looked up to meet his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "I can be teaching you again myself if you are wanting. You are not needing these books to be learning again."

"Well, I figured your schedule must be pretty full considering what's happening in the next few months."

"But It would not be the same," Petra said bluntly, her tone suddenly changing to sound almost hollow. Still, Ashe had to agree. 

"Yeah. It wouldn't." Especially without her. "But I'd manage." She scanned the books and held up the final book. _The Culture and History of Brigid._

"I did not know you were so interested in Brigid as well."

The silver-haired boy shifted nervously on the spot. "Ah, well, I've always had a vested interest, y' know?" he began nervously. He cleared his throat and continued. "Meeting you again made me realise how much I missed our fun lessons, how we used to exchange stories and teach each other about our languages and cultures. I wasn't lying when I said Brigidese is a beautiful language, Petra. I still vividly remember you telling me about the Children of Lir."

"The Children of Lir… that was one of the first stories I was telling you, yes?" Petra hummed.

"It was," Ashe nodded cautiously confirming for her. 

Petra scrunched her nose and quietly laughed. "Why did I tell you a story that is so… sorrowful?" she sniffled, to Ashe's alarm.

"I don't know, but it certainly left an impact." Ashe wasn't sure if his reassurances were helping her be lifted out of her sudden, sullen mood, or make her fall deeper into it; he certainly hoped it did the former.

"Petra?" Ashe asked softly. "Are you OK? You look quite upset now. Did I say or do something wrong?"

"What? No. No, you are not doing such a thing. I am just," Petra cut herself off. She rubbed her nose with a hanky she pulled out of a deep pocket and sniffled more. "I am thrilled; I can be assuring you. It simply means so, so much to me" she said, unsure. "I am not sure how to express myself, honestly."

She bit her inner lip. "I was thinking you were not caring anymore."

Ashe's eyes widened upon hearing her words, before his lips fell into a stern line, then into a deeper frown. "I never stopped caring."

He said it to her so directly. His voice's tone so genuine and thoughtfully to the point, he looked legitimately crossed with her, his frown deep. "I don't know who put that idea in your head Petra, but I want you to know that's not true," he shook his head. Realising how angry he may have looked by her shocked expression, he lifted it into an unsure smile.

"We may have drifted apart after our second year, and I may have forgotten a few words in Brigidese, but I still haven't forgotten our memories together. Like our first lesson where I butchered the pronunciation of some Brigidese greetings so badly I made you laugh before anyone else did. Or when we went to the flea markets with our friends for the first time, and we got lost and found that back alley restaurant. Or when we told each other stories while we were stargazing at that school camp. You told me about Tír na nÓg, and I told you about the Solis Knight, remember?"

Petra's eyebrows arched up, immediately remembering what he was referring to. "Yes. I remember now. That was being in our first-year camp."

"Right," Ashe nodded. "You see? I still remember all that and then some. Our time spent together back then means so much to me Petra, more than you realise. Spending time with you taught me to open up to people more, and gave me plenty of confidence. If I didn't care, then I wouldn't remember any of this, right?"

"Y-yes. I suppose so." Petra looked down, a little ashamed of herself. "I am sorry for thinking as such."

"Petra, please don't say that. I should be the one to apologise," Ashe insisted. "If I had known that was how you felt when we started to drift apart the way we did, I still would've been your friend."

The Brigidese girl balled her fists. "You are showing great kindness, Ashe. Perhaps it is being far too great." She took off her glasses and placed them on the bench carefully and rubbed at her eyes, her cheeks stained darkly with ruined makeup. "I am not crying; I am just… ah. Emotional, yes."

"Petra…"

"Oh, who am I kidding?" Petra laughed. 

She put her glasses back on. "Is it ridiculous to cry over something silly like this, Ashe? I am knowing you will say it is not, but I miss those days, years ago. Those memories were being some of the first happy memories of my time in Fodlan. You did so much for me too, even if you were not noticing."

Petra pressed her hands on the desk. "You encouraged me to join the track and field team at the end of our first year. I am not sure if I would be where I am if I was not listening to your advice. Ashe, you…" Petra trailed off and licked her lips. She looked up into his deep green eyes and nervously, she shifted her hands closer to him. His hand moved instinctively, his gaze unmoving from her light brown eyes.

"I would not be finding my passions, and I would not be making life long friends if I did not listen to your encouragement." Petra stopped and sharply inhaled just as Ashe did. Their hands intertwined like puzzle pieces that belonged together, that connected two parts to complete a greater whole once again.

Once again.

Memories flash by them both. Hands intertwined, faces red with intense blushes in the back of the library as Ashe leaned over towards Petra, and Petra leaned towards Ashe.

"I would not have found my purpose, if not for you pushing me forward, Ashe."

Tears prick at Ashe's eyes, unable to maintain any semblance of calm no thanks to Petra's light tears; he always struggled not to cry when he saw others in anguish but seeing Petra made it hurt a little worse than usual. His heart beats impossibly fast, and the silver-haired boy felt as if he'd pass out from dizziness as her words settled in his mind.

"I know you do not have much direction, and I am aware you will tell me I do not have to repay you, but Ashe; I want to help you as you did for me."

"Petra, I…"

The clacking of heels from behind them snaps them out of their moment; their hands pulled away. Someone stood behind Ashe, and in a panic, Petra reached for a nearby tissue box and began to wipe away at her smudged mascara desperately. Ashe took a hint and silently pointed out where her mascara still smudged before she urgently scanned Ashe's books. He picked them up and stepped to the side, letting a young woman step forward with books of her own. They were placed on the desk, and Petra scanned them under the curious and scrutinising gaze of the young girl.

She quickly retreated from the heavy, awkward atmosphere; the two of them glanced at each other, now left alone to their own devices. They stared for a few seconds that lasted an eternity before Petra broke into a hearty giggle not befitting the heavy atmosphere. Breaking into a silly grin, Ashe doesn't hold back the laughter that mirrors hers.

"I cannot believe we were so dramatic," the plum haired girl shook her head.

"Neither can I," Ashe chuckled softly.

Silence overcame them, and Ashe cleared his throat, though his nervous smile remained. "Shall I wait for you outside? You know. So that you can get fixed up."

"Yes, that is a good idea, I am thinking."

Ashe scooped up his newly borrowed books and shifted back and away from the desk, a little reluctantly. He turned around towards the exit and made it halfway to the sliding doors before she called his name again.

"Ashe!"

He turned back to look at her with no hesitation. She took a breath in and asked him solemnly.

_"Chì mi a-rithist thu,_ Ashe."

_See you later, Ashe._

Ashe blinked, picking apart her question in Brigid's primary language before he deciphered its meaning; he grinned, and his arms tightened around the books in his possession.

"Yeah," he nodded with a happy hum. " _Chì mi thu a dh' aithghearr,_ Petra."

_I will be seeing you soon, Petra._

Her eyebrows shot up momentarily, but Petra smiled again at his reassurance as they parted ways for just a little longer.


End file.
